Key escutcheon



June 23, 1931.

M. LEVENTHAL KEY ESCUTCHEON Filed Feb. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l V lllllf/lIl/llllllll INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 23, 1931. M. LEVENTHAL 1,811,141

KEY ESCUTCHEON Filed Feb. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1 Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE MITCHELL LEVENTHAL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, faSSIGNOR TO SOSY INC;, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW'YORK KEY nsou'rorrnoiv Application filed February 19, 1930.- Serial No. 429,628.

The present invention relates to key escutcheons and aims to provide certain improvements therein. More especially it has to do with means for excluding dust, dirt and other foreign matter from gaining entrance into the lock mechanism with which the ke escutcheons are associated.

According to the present invention 1 provide escutcheons of the type described where in the insertion and entrance of the key into the lock in the conventional manner serves to open the dust guard, and the withdrawal of the key serves to automatically close the dust guard. In its preferred forms the escutcheon comprises a pair of relatively movable or slidable parts which are held in closing or abutting relation by resilient means, the holding pressure of which is easily overcome by a slight pressure on the bit or pin of the key in the act of inserting the said key into the lock,

. the whole escutcheon bein also preferably movable to draw the bolt of the look into unlatching position.

Several embodiments of'my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a suit-case lock or the like provided with an-escutcheon embodying the present invention. 7 a Fig. 2'is a rear view on an enlarged scale of the escutcheon shown in Fig. 1 detached 7 from the lock frame.

a Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the dust guard of the escutcheon in open position. i

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the plane of. the line k t of Fig. .3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken sub stantially along theplane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a slightly modified construction of the escutcheon.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the escutcheon shown in Fig. 6. 1 g

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the plane of the line -8 8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a; further embodiment of my invention.

10 is a rear view'of the escutcheon shown inFig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the plane of the line 11.11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of still another embodiment of my invention.

Figs. 13 and 14 are rear views ofthe escutcheon shown in Fig. .12, Fig. 14 showing the dust guard in open position.

Fig. 15 is. a longitudinal section taken substantially along theplane of the line 1515 v character G, saidescutcheon being movable as a whole relatively to the frame A. and in which movement it carries with it the lock bolt (not shown) in a manner well known.

The escutcheon C consists of a casing or frame D having a rearwardly directed flange (2 extending around the perimeter of the casing. The top face of the casing D is provided with a key hole slot d and below said key holeslot with three parallel slots (Z 61 and d, the latter having an inwardly directed pin or lug (Z disposed within the planes of the casing top. Mounted on the top face of the casing D are the complemental face elements E and F, the former being rigidlyor integrally formed with the casing D and disposed at one end thereof, and the latter being separately formed from and slidable over the top of casing D relatively to the element E. Theelements E and F have their adjacent ends provided with complemental substantially flat faces a and 7 respectively, p which are held in'abutting relation above the top of the key-hole slot cl by a coil spring Gr, one end of which is mounted over the pin d and the other end of which abuts against ance for the bit of a key when inserted into,-

the lock. To facilitate the entrance of a key through the escutcheon; into theilock the abutting faces a and f of the elements E and F are slightly bevelled asshown at e and ;i* respectively, and at their middle are provided with: countersunkdepressions e and f so as to provide a guide and wedging: surface for the bit or pin of a key, which when pressed intothe recess 6 f will move the element F against the action of the spring G to open the dust guard and permit the-entrance of thekey into the lock. While the key is in the lock it will be apparent that the dust guard will be maintainedin: open positio but upon the withdrawal oi 'tne key the spring G will immediately move the element F into cooperative relation with the element E to again establish the dust guard. For mounting the escutcheon in cooperativerelation with the lock mechanism the casing D is provided witl-ilugs (F at its opposite edges;

In, the modified formor escutcheon= shown in. Figs. 6 to 8 there is provided; a casing I corresponding to the casing D of Figs. 1 to- 5" and? upon saidcasing is mounted the ele inentsJ and K, the tonmerbeingrigidly fixed toor integral with the casing I while'the latter is formed separately fromand slidableupon the: casing I. The feed element J- extends substantially around three sides of the casingI with which-itsedges are incoincident relation and provides arecess or groove jin which. the element K slidahly fits, the top surfacesof' the elements J and K. being flush with one another and the'sifdes of the element J tapering dpwnwardly from said top as shown at y? At their top adjacent faces, the elements J and K are in flat abutting relation and are provided with countersunk depressi'ons y and ic respecti vely for accommodatingthe bit eta, key. For holding the element K in assembled relation upon the easing-I the former is provided with lugs kand which extend through and are movable in longitudinal openings and 2'" respectively iii-the casing sai'd lugs being bent down over theback of said casing to prevent their withdrawal tl-ierefromr To normally hold the top end face of the element K inabutting relhtionto the adjacent faceof the element J so as to provide a dust-prooi'i closure, there isemployed'a' coil-spring In which is anchored around a pin [carried by the casing I, one

end of said spring being upon a pin Z also carried by the casing I and the other end bearing against the inner side of the end face of the element K, as best shown in Figs. 7 and 8. To accommodate the key after it has passed through the dust guard the-top; face of the casing Ii isprcvided with a key holeslot i To. mount the escut-chcon upon a lock mechanism it is provided with side lugs i In lhgs. 9 to 11 there is shown a still further embodiment of the invention, wherein the escutcheon elements M and N may be con sidered analogous to the elements J and K of 6; to 8v excepting that the outer contour of the escutcheon in the present instance is tion onithecasing P'thelatter isproaid'ediwitlm i parallel: slots y), p." through which extend lugs n and a which are bent downagainst thehack face ofi thecasingas shown. in Fig. 10. 'Ehe topi t ace ot the casing- P is provid edwith a clearanceslotp? for-accommodating the bit of a key after passing through the dust guard. In this: embodiment of thein-' vention the rear-plate-(D'isbowed as shown at 0 to) provide a housing for the spring and said platelikewise carries the proj ecting lugs 0 whcrc-by the escut cheoni isattached toa Lug mechanislm.

In the embodiment of my invention. shown in Figs. 12- to 15, inclusive, theescutcheon. E

is;pnovi.dedi on; its top face. with a convention al key opening 1*. Mounted to the rear on said face and in: sliding. engagement therewitln is: apair of spring-pressed: plates: S, S, the abuttingedgesoii which meet in a straight lines substantially midway 0t thekey opening r and centrally offsaids key: opening: are provided with countersunk or bevelled surfacess, 81; Each of the guard plates S' has parallelv sidesandl terminates at its. outer end' with outwardly projecting lips s s and is formed inidiwaybetween. saidi lips with; a re- 8685 .8 within. whichis housed acoil spring For guiding and limiting the plates S',. S, intheirmovement toward? each: other there is mounted; on the back of-the casing R a plate or element U having inwardly directed lugs wengaging'and guiding the sidesof the plates S and against the end'soi which the lipss are adaptedrtmbeai' tolimit the movementof the plates toward each other..- The opposite ends ofthe plateU areincutas -shownz at u to provide lugs u a and M a of which: is turned toward the top of the casing to form abuttmen'ts tor the sp rings: T and thelugs 14 and u are turned toward the back of 'thecas sunk recess 8 the plates S, S will be moved apart against the action of the springs T to open the dust guard and permit the entrance of the key into the lock. Upon withdrawal of the key the springs T will press the plates S into the position shown in Figs. 12, 13

and 15. y

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 16, 17 and 18, there is provided a casing V of circular contour having a rearward- 1y directed integral flange v. Mounted on the top face of the casing V are semi-circular elements W and X, the former being rigidly or integrally united to the casing V while the latter is mounted to slide thereon. For guid- 3 ing the element X in its sliding movement on the casing V the top of said casing has a portion thereof cut out as shown at 1;, said out out portion having parallel opposite sides 01 ,42 and the element X has a pair of lugs x,

" m, which extend through the opening 4) in contact with the parallel edges 12 andover.

which they are bent down as shown in Fig. 17. To normally hold the element X with its diametrical face 022' in contact with the diametri-- K cal face of the elements W there is provided a coil spring Y, one end of which bears against a projection 0 extending upwardly from the face of the casing V and into the element X and the other end of which spring bears against the under side of the diametrical face w. To provide a housing for the spring Y the back of the element X is provided with a plate Z, the upper face of which is depressed or bowed out of its plane as shown at z. The abutting edges of the complemental elements W and X are formed at'their middle with tapered or countersunk portions w and m for accommodating the bit of a key, which, when pressed thereagainst will move the element X to open the guard plate and permit the entrance, of the key through the opening '0 into the lock.

From the foregoing detailed descriptions having a key-hole therein, a member mount- 7 ed on, and slidable relatively to said element and having its top surface substantially flush with the top surface of the element, a shoulder on said element in superposed relation to the keyhole, the slidable member having an end face normally held in abutting relation to said shoulder, and a depression in at least one of the aforementioned parts at their abutting surfaces adaptedto receive the bit end of a key, said slidable member being adapted to yield and permit the entrance of the key into the key-hole when said key is pressed against said depression.

2. An escutcheon comprising an element having a key-hole therein, a recess in the top face of said element, an end wall of said recess being in substantially superposed relation to the key-hole, a member having its top surface flush with the top surface of the element slidable in said recess and guided by the walls thereof and having one end normally in abutting relation to said end Wall, means normally holding said parts in said cooperative relation, and a depression in the top face of i at least one of said parts at their abutting ends adapted to receive the bit'endof a key, said slidable member being adapted to yield and permit the entrance of the key into the key-hole when said key is pressed against said depression.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. V

' MITCHELL LEVENTI-IAL.

it will be apparent that I have provided simple, practical and novel means for excluding dust, dirt and other foreign matter from gaining entrance into a lock mechanism.

through the key escutcheon thereof, and although I have shown numerous embodiments,

of my invention it is to be understood that changes in the specific details of construction disclosed may be resorted to without depart-' in from the spirit of the invention.

Vhat I claim is:

1. An escutcheon comprising an element 

